A Heart of Ice
by Crayola Hearts
Summary: The fact that Lucy had shown up at his house, at Mira's request no less, proved his suspicions. He had become the barmaid's next victim. And his match this time? It was none other than Miss Lucy Heartfilia.
1. Part 1: Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Well, with the new year came new motivation. I've decided to rewrite this as I think my skills have improved quite a bit since the original was published on here.

* * *

A Heart of Ice

Chapter 1

* * *

If there was one thing he loved most in the world (food wise) it was snow cones. He loved the fact that you could simply shave ice, add flavored syrup, and have one of the best treats in the world. For an Ice Mage, it was the perfect thing for him, especially on this unusually hot day.

The sun was high in the sky, scorching the members of MagnoliaTown's resident mage guild as they rollicked about in the guilds private pool. Of course on this day, however, it had been open to the public as Master Markov wasn't an unreasonable man. Guild members and normal people alike lounged about the pool side, sipping at sweet drinks and cold delectable

Due to the mix of people, several of the other mages were about, ensuring certain troublemakers were kept in line; the last thing Fairy Tail needed was people getting caught up in their antics.

Gray, an honorary member of said group of troublemakers, was reclined in a pool chair. Despite the overwhelming heat, he had managed to stay clothed. Beside him, Lucy sat beneath a brightly colored umbrella, delicately sipping at the smoothie Mira had brought her. He couldn't help but gape at her; she was wearing a new bathing suit, a strapless top that connected in the middle with a large metal loop and fell at an angle over the middle of her busts before tying into a tight bow in the back. It was a pale green, making her skin look a bit lighter.

It wasn't an unusual sight, Lucy wasn't exactly Miss Modest when it came to her wardrobe; he was used to the display of skin, but something about her seemed exceptionally different. It was almost as if she were trying to flag down the attention of so-

"Cool! Lucy you look so cooool in that swimsuit!"

The blonde beamed at Jason, the reporter for _Weekly Sorcerer._

It made sense, Gray concluded as he shoveled a spoonful of grape flavored snow cone into his mouth. She had been pretty perturbed the last Jason had come by the guild since Natsu kept running her chances of possibly becoming a model for the magazine. This time, the reporter's full attention was on her and the ice mage could tell from the brilliant smile on her face she was enjoying every second of it.

"Lucy looks happy," Mira commented as she passed. She was wearing a pretty yellow sundress with her hair tied back in a way that sent a wave of noglastia through him.

"Tch, cause Ash Brain isn't around to ruin her chances of being a cover girl."

Mira placed a finger to her cheek thoughtfully, "She certainly could do it. Do you want anything to drink?"

He shook his head in response and ate another spoonful of his cone. His dark eyes were locked on the blonde who had managed to convince Jason to take a couple pictures. He felt a whispered breath against his ear and a shiver ran down his spine, "You know, if you keep staring at her, someone's bound to notice."

The ice mage tore his eyes away from her, giving his attention to the barmaid. She cast him an all _too_ sweet smile before bounding off to the other customers. He muttered a sting of incoherent curses and turned to the snow cone once more. "I have a bad feeling about this."

It was no secret to the guild that Mira was a gossip monger as well as a hopeless romantic. She had cycled through every guild member at least once, attempting to pair him or her off with whoever she thought was right for them. It had been a while since she had been involved in those antics, however.

Gray had the sinking feeling that he had just become her next victim.

He had been the center of her little game twice since joining the guild, once when she tried to pair him with Erza, and once when she attempted to explore his sexuality and pair him off with Natsu. Sometimes he wondered if she had been drinking when she made her pairs, or if she was simply messing with people. However, when she came across a couple she particularly liked, she would push and push and push until it finally worked out; something seen with Alzack and Bisca in the days before their disappearance.

It would be an understatement to say that she was _squealing_ with joy at the news that not only had the two married, but also had a child of their own.

Her previous attempts hadn't been so successful, though. Needless to say, he and Erza didn't work at all, and the incident with Natsu was a complete disaster. She attempted to put Levy with Jet and Droy, but naturally that didn't work out either, the bluenette saw them as friends and nothing more. Her last attempt had been centered on the bookworm and a gruff Dragonslayer that _no one_ would have thought possible. After receiving nothing but stubbornness from him, she eventually gave up on the project for the time being.

_And I'm probably her new one, _he sighed, stirring the ice around its cup.

"Ha! Jason said he might use me in the next issue!" Lucy exclaimed happily as she bounded forward, snatching her drink from the table. "Finally!"

"That's great!" He replied, seemingly distant.

"You seem tense," Lucy stated through her straw.

He waved his hand dismissively, "it's nothing."

She hummed with a shrug before bounding off once more, joining with the girls on the opposite side of the pool. They were gathered in a large ball, occasionally bursting into a fit off laughter or horrified gasps. He knit his brows and shook his head, he'd never understand women, not even if you drew a diagram and explained it in third grade terms, they were just _too_ confusing to him.

"What's with that face?" Erza inquired as she took the seat Lucy had just left. She was holding a martini glass with some kind of pink fizzy liquid inside it. A small piece of lemon was stuck on the rim off the glass. He couldn't help but raise a brow, if memory served him correctly; the mage had insisted that she disliked martinis.

Seeing his eyes on the glass, she held it up and gave it a shake. "Natsu bumped into one of the waitresses and she dropped the bin with most of our glasses in them. All they have left at the bar are the martini glasses."

"Idiot," Gray glanced at her, motioning towards the congregation of females, "I'm surprised you're not over there."

"I have to monitor the place," she reminded him.

With that she left him to scold Natsu who had started a verbal fight with Gajeel, determined to stop it before it escalated into an all out brawl.

* * *

It was just after dark before the commotion had died down.

The outside visitors had gone home, save the few drunken stragglers. Under Erza's hard gaze, they had cleaned the pool deck until it seemed to sparkle. Exhaustion took hold of them as the filed into the guild hall, stomachs rumbling as the delicious smells of Mirajane's cooking filled their noses.

Gray had seated himself by the entrance, a glass of apple juice sitting on the table beside him. He wasn't sure why, but he was slowly growing more and more aggravated as the seconds passed. Perhaps it was the Dragonslayer sitting on his left, or the inane babbling of the water mage to his right.

No. It was neither of them, despite the fact they were both being equally obnoxious.

It was the sweet faced barmaid who kept casting him sly glances every chance she got, smiling as if she knew some kind of secret all the while. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he felt his perturbed; not even Natsu could render him into such a sour mood. He took a sip of his juice, glancing at the bar. As if sensing his gaze, she looked up from her glass, brows knitted in a devilish look.

Something inside him snapped at that moment.

He slammed the glass on the table with enough force to shatter it in his grasp. Beside him Juvia yelped with surprise, eyes bulging at the sight. Natsu had ceased speaking, his expression mirroring the water mage's. Mira's brows shot into her hair line. With an angered _Tch_, he pushed himself away from the table and stormed to the door, throwing it open with exceptional force.

The guild gaped at the scene.

"Has Juvia said something wrong?" The water mage asked, a look of worry twisting her pretty face.

"The hell's Stripper's problem?" Gajeel asked from his seat at the bar.

Mira didn't have an answer, she was just as puzzled as every one else. Gray didn't just lose his temper like that. Worry replaced her shock as Mira began pacing behind the bar.

"He seemed distant earlier," Lucy stated, "like he had too much on his mind."

The fair haired woman hummed before turning away from them, her eyes locking with a large calendar on the back wall. She shimmed the dates, muttering to herself, eyes widening when she landed on that day's date. "So that's why…"

"What is it Mira?" The blonde inquired.

Mira turned to face her, a saddened look in her eyes. "I'm sure you know of his past?"

Lucy nodded, a sinking feeling filling her stomach. Her body felt like lead all of the sudden as the memory came back to her. The memory of him retelling his past with shaking hands. Mira didn't need to say another word for her to understand what was going on; she was smart enough to put two and two together.

"I know he misses Ur."

"It's not Ur," Mira stated, "I don't know how long he was with his teacher, but it happened just before that. He never said much on the matter, only that he lost his parents in an accident and Ur found him. "

"That explains why he's been so distant, but why in the world would he lose his temper like that?" The blonde asked. "Someone must have been doing _something_ to irritate him."

"Probably Salamander, or Juvia." The Iron Dragonslayer snorted.

"Natsu was actually quite for once," Lucy muttered, "and even if Gray does get irritated with Juvia at times, he'd never snap like that."

Mira hummed, "I guess the only thing to do would be to ask him. Anyway, Lucy, I need a favor."

The fair-haired woman leaned down and removed something from the shelves below the counter. It was a large square shaped object covered in a pale purple fabric tied in a snug knot at the top. "Could you take this to the bookstore down the block? And one more thing," she pulled another bundle from the same shelf, "Gray left these here a couple days ago, but I keep forgetting to give them to him."

"I-I don't know where he lives." Lucy said as she took the first package. "C-Can't you send Juvia or someone?"

Mira pouted, "I figured I'd ask you since you were already out."

The blonde sighed, "fine, I guess I can."

The barmaid beamed at her and seized a small piece of paper from a notebook. Scribbling hastily, she wrote the address and shoved the scrap into her hands. Lucy smiled back and took the second bundle in her other arm.

Something felt off, but then again, Mira herself was a bit off sometimes, as was the guild in its entirety. All of them had something quirky about them. Often times she found herself wondering if she were the only normal person in that whole place, only to come to the conclusion that she probably was.

Nightfall had brought the relief of a temperature drop though it was still pretty warm. Feeling her hair cling to the back of her neck, soaking in the sweat brought on by the humidity, Lucy untied her signature side bunch and gathered her entire head of hair in a single pony tail.

She arrived at the bookstore and turned over the book Mira had asked her too. Unable to help herself, she shifted through the small satchel she bad brought with her and fished out her wallet; there was just enough money for her to buy a couple books of her own. Beaming with delight, she scanned the shelves, reading title after title, summary after summary, until she found two that particularly interested her.

"Find everything alright, Lucy-san?"

She nodded with a smile as the cashier rang up the items, stuffing them into the same fabric she had brought with her. As she handed him the jewels he glanced at her, "you know if you ever need any extra money don't hesitate to ask, I can let you manage the shop every once in a while. You and Levy are in here enough to know the ropes."

The blonde laughed, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind!"

She gave a small wave before glancing at the paper Mira had given her.

"Hmm, I thought he would have lived in the boy's dorm." She said to herself.

It wasn't too far from where she was now, maybe a block or two to the east. Stuffing the address into the pocket of her slim fitting jeans, she started in the direction indicated. The streetlights illuminated the cobbled pathways with a warm glow, casting strong shadows in some places. A few people milled about, but other than that, it was nearly deserted.

It took her less than fifteen minutes to reach the designated address. If she had any doubts whether it was his house or not, they were instantly dispelled as she caught sight of the name plate reading 'Fullbuster'. Raising her hand, she knocked lightly.

No answer.

She knocked again, a bit louder this time.

Silence.

_They do it to me all the time, _she thought in annoyance as she placed her hand on the handle. With a gentle twist, it opened with a click and swung inside, revealing a brightly lit living room.

It was relatively clean, save a couple magazines and a dirty plate sitting on a round glass table. She was surprised to see a bookshelf along the back wall, albeit it wasn't nearly as full as her's or god forbid, Levy's. The kitchen was clean as well. She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she saw it, though images of Natsu's home were present in her mind at the time.

She shivered slightly as she stepped all the way in and closed the door; it was cold inside. Not that she was surprised; he was an _ice_ mage after all. She cautiously strode to the small glass table, keeping her eyes glued on the shinning surface.

Who knew how Gray dressed when he was home, if he dressed at all.

As she set the bundle containing his clothes down, she saw that several issues of _Sorcerer_ _Weekly_ were thrown into a large pile. A couple other books lay beside them.

There was a creak as one of the doors opened. Gray emerged from his bathroom, hair dripping and a soft white towel wrapped around his waist. His eyes landed on her, widening a bit. "I knew I heard something…what are you doing here?"

"I…uh.. Mira asked me to bring th-the clothes you left at the guild since I was going o-out anyway!" She stuttered.

At the mention of the barmaid, his brow seemed to twitch.

The blonde noticed the slight movement, "Uh, Gray, are you mad at Mira?"

He grumbled and stalked to his room. "Kinda, I'll be out in a minute."

She nodded in bewilderment and took a seat on the couch, picking up one of the magazines. Leafing through it, she found nothing that she hadn't already read and put it down. Not even five minutes passed before Gray reappeared, pulling a shirt over his head.

"Any particular reason you're mad at Mira?" The blonde inquired as Gray walked into his kitchen.

He snorted. "You're new to the guild so you probably experienced it once without realizing it, but Mira has a habit of messing with the rest of us. Mostly while trying to play Matchmaker."

_Like that incident with Natsu? _"Matchmaker?"

He glanced at her, "she likes to try and pair us off when she has nothing better to do."

"And you're mad at her because?"

"I have the feeling she's about to make _me_ the next _victim_, for the _third _time." He stated.

The blonde cocked her head, "You know…you seem irritable."

He didn't respond to that. He silently pulled a popsicle from his freezer and leaned against the counter. "

Still, it was a bit odd of you to storm out like that."

Again there was no response.

_He's acting so weird. _With a sigh, she changed the conversation, "This is a pretty decent place."

This time she received an answer, "Bigger and cheaper than the dorms."

An awkward silence settled over them. Normally their conversations weren't so forced, but Lucy new he was troubled. Of course what Mira said could only speculation, the person who truly knew what was wrong was him and at this time, the blonde suspected it wasn't the best thing to ask about it.

Instead she stood and smiled warmly at him, "it's getting late. The clothes are on the table." She made her way to the door. Just as she placed her perfectly manicured hand on the knob, she turned to look at him with sympathetic eyes, "If you ever need to talk about anything, you can always talk to me."

With that, she was out the door with a swish of golden hair and a soft click.

Gray crossed his arms over his chest, a scowl twisting his face. The fact that Lucy had shown up at his house, at Mira's request no less, proved his suspicions. He had become the barmaid's next victim. And his match this time?

It was none other than Miss Lucy Heartfilia.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I understand, Gray's a bit out of character here, but done on purpose so meh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I only just now realized my computer was auto correcting Marakov to Markov. I feel so stupid D: That aside, thank you all for the reviews! You guys are great!

I decided I'm going to set this _after_ the GMG (and not in accordance with anything in the manga or what will happen in the manga).

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A Heart of Ice

Chapter 2:

* * *

Gray's mood had not improved the next morning; in fact it seemed to have _darkened_.

His movements were slow and subtle, as if he'd rather not move at all. Under his eyes he sported large bags, as if he hadn't slept the previous night, and his face was still twisted in a scowl.

He slumped in his seat, sipping at the orange juice Cana had gotten him. It was Mira's day off, something he was grateful for, and since they had no one to cover the bar for her, Master had asked the brunette fortune-teller to take over. She was leaning over the .counter, an elbow propped on the wooden surface, hand supporting her head with a concerned look.

"Maybe you should have stayed home today," she stated bluntly.

He glanced, rather glared, at her and took a sip of his drink.

A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed between them. Lucy hopped onto the barstool right next to his, much to Cana's relief, and ordered a strawberry and banana smoothie. When the mage came back with the drink, she motioned to the ice mage, "Seems like the Ice Prince isn't any better than last night."

The blonde let her eyes fall on Gray, who was scowling at his drink. With a sigh, she turned in her seat to face him, "Gray…"

He turned his head in her direction, the scowl softening a fraction of an inch. "Oh, morning, Lucy."

The Celestial mage lifted a brow, "You look terrible."

"Thanks, Luce," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Seriously," she said, "you're starting to worry everyone. Juvia thinks you're mad at her."

"What?" He asked knitting his brows, "Why would I be mad at her?"

The blonde shrugged, "I don't know, you stormed out of the guild while she was talking to you, or attempting to anyway?"

The ice mage sighed and scanned the guild; for once he couldn't find the water woman. "That wasn't the case, you know it."

"I may know that, but does Juvia? I'll tell her when I take Mira's books to Fairy Hills later." She said as she took a sip of her drink.

Gray grunted in confirmation.

Cana had left the two of them when the conversation first started, a sly smirk lifting her lips. She began mentally calculating the amount of money she had and what amount she would toss into the pot; suddenly Mira's bet was looking pretty interesting.

_I give them three months, _she thought as she watched the two mages.

If there as one thing the brunette loved about running the bar, it was the fact she could steal free booze without being scolded. After all she was in charge and she certainly wasn't going to yell at herself. She snagged a bottle of rum from one of the shelves and started on it with out hesitation.

"Cana, another drink?" Wakaba called, raising his mug.

"Aye, comin''!" She replied.

The guild was alive with its usual ruckus; the sounds of shouting, braking tables, and glass bottles whizzing through the air filled the large hall. Lucy ducked as a large barrel flew past her, a startled shriek escaping her lips. "Watch it, Moron!" She hissed as she caught sight of Natsu laughing, a finger pointed directly at her.

She retrieved the nearest object her hand could grasp and flung with all her might. The object, a large beer mug, sailed through the air, and collided with the front of Natsu's face with enough force to knock the Dragonsalyer off his feet. A chorus of laughter rang through the guild. Even Gray, who had been silently fuming beside her, cracked a smile.

"Nice one, Lucy!"

"That's gonna leave a mark…"

"Go, Lucy!"

The blonde smiled triumphantly and reclaimed her seat. She sipped at her smoothie before turning her attention to Gray, "how long do you plan on moping around for?"

"I'm not moping," he replied, "I didn't sleep last night."

"That much is obvious," she muttered, "why?"

He refused to reply, much to her dismay. "Fine," she huffed, retrieved her drink, and ambled off to the table Levy occupied.

The ice mage let a sigh escape his lips. His head was throbbing, and the calamity in the guild wasn't helping in the slightest. "What's wrong, Gray?"

His head snapped up as the tiny figure of Marakov came into view. The elderly man gazed down with a concerned expression as he took a seat on the counter. "You seem troubled."

He sighed, "it's nothing, just a sleepless night."

The master hummed, "that's not what I heard from Mira. Did yesterday's date have anything to do with it?"

Gray involuntarily flinched.

"I thought so," the man sighed, "Well, I have to something discuss with you."

The mage straightened in his seat, fighting the urge to let a tired yawn slip passed his lips. "What is it?"

"I received a job request from a wealthy jewelry maker a night ago," he began, "she's having a show of her pieces a week from now and asked me to send a couple of mages to assist her in guarding the material, preferably a male/female couple. I was thinking of sending Bisca and Alzack, but both are on other jobs. Natsu and Erza are out of the question, as capable as they are, I'd rather not trust them with nobility for obvious reasons."

"So you're sending me and…"

"Lucy. I was considering Juvia, but Lucy's knowledge of noble interactions may prove useful." He stated, then added as an after thought, "And she's probably the most normal person in the guild. Take this flyer to her when you can."

His eyes immediately landed on the blonde mage across the room, waving her fist angrily. Her hair was slicked down and her clothes wet, a bit of her eyeliner smearing. She looked every bit of the word _pissed_ at that moment. "When are we going?"

"Well, I still have to confirm things with the client. I'd say in three days at the most." The little man replied, rubbing his chin.

The ice mage nodded and finished the last mouthful of his juice.

* * *

"Idiots, all of them!" Lucy grumbled as she stalked out the entrance, her clothes soaked and skin sticky.

In the midst of the brawl, a mug full of some kind of juice had flown past her, emptying its contents on her head. By some miracle, it had missed the stack of papers in her hands; the latest draft of her novel. Less than eager to ruin it, she left the story with Levy.

As the blonde stormed up her steps, she clenched her fists. Sometime she grew tired of their stupid antics. She threw her door open and made her way to her room, undressing as she went. She discarded her dirty clothes in the hamper by her desk and grabbed a couple of towels.

She let the water run, waiting for it to warm as she experimentally put her fingers together and pulled them apart. Each time it felt as if she were pulling Elmer's Glue off her skin. With a disgusted groan, she put her fingers in her hair, only to have them catch where the strands had matted together.

She made a mental note to personally throttle the ass who had thrown the object, whoever that may be.

Once the water was warm, she stepped into the shower and sighed contentedly, feeling the warm liquid wash the disgusting juice from her skin. She lathered her hair in shampoo and rinsed it, feeling better now that she could run her fingers through her blonde tresses.

Her mind wandered to the conversation at the bar. She was starting to get worried. There was more on his mind than Mira's matchmaker attempt, that much was certain. Something was nagging at her for an answer, but it was glaringly obvious; Gray wanted nothing to do with the subject. Asking him might only piss him off even more

With a sigh, the mage rinsed her hair and cut off the water. As she stepped out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around her and dried herself off. Yesterday must have been a difficult day for him, if what Mira had said was correct.

_Speaking of days…MY RENT! _The blonde mentally screamed as she dressed quickly as possible. _Maybe there's a job I can do by myself. _

A knock at her door tore her out of her thoughts. Curiosity nagged at her, who could it have been? She was almost certain it wasn't Natsu, he would have just barged in, and Erza didn't exactly follow the 'knock before you enter' rule as well. _It might be Levy, but she doesn't usually show up without telling me first. _

She pulled a simple white sundress over head and scrambled towards the door, towel in hand as she dried her hair. With her free hand she pulled the door open. Her brows shot into her hair line at the sight. Gray was standing at her door, fully dressed (by some miracle) holding folded piece of paper.

"Wha-"

"Master gave me this earlier," he said, inviting himself in.

The Celestial mage took the page and looked it over. It was a job flyer. _What is he, a mind reader?_

"Did you bring the others?" She asked, peaking out the door.

"No, we're the only one's going."

The blonde cocked her head, "Did Mira have anything to do with this?"

Gray shook his head and plopped down in her recliner, "No, it was Master's idea."

"Not that I don't need the money, but why you and I?"

The ice mage snorted, "Because he apparently can't trust anyone else with this."

She had to admit, it was probably a wise decision judging by the contents of the flyer. Most of Fairy Tail's members were _too_ rowdy for a job such as this; one that called for sophistication and elegance. Not to mention most of them were sorely lacking in the knowledge of the noble life. The client, Brandy Wilcox, was a renowned jeweler. Her pieces were so grand and exquisite that some of the less wealthy noblemen of the country could hardly afford her work.

The blonde glanced at the jewelry box on her dresser; she had a few pieces of her own. Her father had bought them for her mother on several occasions, and when the late Layla Heartfilia passed, she had inherited them. Since running away, she had kept them in a box as there was no occasion she needed them.

Something caught her eye; there was no reward on the flyer. "Gray, did Master mention the reward?"

The ice mage looked thoughtful, "No. Did say he had to confirm something with the client though."

She hummed. "I wonder if I can get her to fix a necklace for me."

"A necklace?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, my father bought it for my mother as a birthday present one year. When she died, she gave it to me, but it fell off at one of my father's business parties and one of the pieces bent. And I think one do the diamonds shattered."

"What was she like, your mother?"

The blonde was a bit taken aback by the question, but answered it none the less, "She was a kind and gentle woman, as well as a talented mage. Back then things weren't that bad between my father and I. Or maybe I never noticed because I was always with Mother."

A sigh tore form her lips as she glanced at the picture frame on the wall beside her. The woman pictured held a striking resemblance to her. "I promised myself that I'd save up enough money to buy back the mansion one day."

"Your mother kind of reminds me of mine, except she wasn't a mage." The ice mage said with a saddened look.

They said in silence for a few moments. Lucy realized that was all he was going to say on the matter.

"When are we leaving?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Master said it could be at most in three days. We'll probably know by tomorrow." He stood and moved towards the door, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," the blonde stated, watching his retreating back.


End file.
